About

What is Interprofessional Education?

“Interprofessional education occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes. Once students understand how to work interprofessionally, they are ready to enter the workplace as a member of the collaborative practice team. This is a key step in moving health systems from fragmentation to a position of strength.”

World Health Organization (WHO). (2010). Framework for action on interprofessional education & collaborative practice. Geneva: World Health Organization

Health students have traditionally been educated in professional silos, with minimal interaction with students or practitioners in other professions. As communities across Canada move toward collaborative care team models, the health-related programs at Dalhousie University are committed to providing their students with a wide-range of interprofessional experiences and opportunities - through both curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Why Interprofessional Education?

Patients receive better care when health providers from all health disciplines work closely and learn from both their patients and other health care colleagues. Collaborative practice:

• Improves patient outcomes
• Reduces errors and improves patient safety
• Improves health professional satisfaction
• Reduces stress amongst health care providers and increases efficiencies and innovations

At Dalhousie, collaboration starts in the classroom with interprofessional activities designed to enhance knowledge, understanding and respect for the expertise, roles and values of other health and human service professionals.  Our students learn that collaboration is all about the patient or client, their family and the community in which they live – not about the profession or the professionals.  The patient/client/family are an important part of the healthcare team.